This chapter's abit longer than usual as I kept wanting to add more! I apologise for changing the order of events slightly by making Thomas become a footman again abit earlier so that I can use him in this chapter. Again I don't own anything.


Sybil tried hard to be cheerful at dinner, but she could not fool her mother.

"Sybil dear, you seem upset." Cora commented. "Are you quite alright?"

She hesitated not sure what to say to her mother and in the pause Edith asked, "Did something happen at the hospital?"

"Actually it did." Sybil confirmed deciding to be truthful about this. "Apparently soon I need to stop working as a nurse."

"Were you not planning to anyway?" Cora asked surprised by this. "I would have thought less nurses were required now the war is over."

"Some less." Sybil confirmed. "But there are still many injured soldiers and with talk of a flu outbreak there's still a lot of work. The reason I have to leave is that the jobs are returning to the men."

"And quite right!" Violet exclaimed. "These heroes have returned from war and you expect them to find themselves unemployed?"

"So it doesn't matter if the women are unemployed so long as the men are happy?" Sybil was unable to keep the sarcasm out of her voice which upset her father.

"Kindly do not use that tone with your grandmother!" he reprimanded, then trying to bring her to sense added "surely you can see that it's for the greater good? It means there can be one person from each family earning a wage."

Sybil hated the patronising tone her family used with her as if she were too naïve understand political matters. "But what about single women? War widows?" She pressed.

"Then let them take your job." Mary suggested sharply.

"She's right Sybil." Cora agreed. "You have no need of the money and you shouldn't deny others of a wage."

"Certainly she shouldn't work." Violet added as if this settled everything. "It is not suitable for a lady of her position." How Sybil dearly wanted to tell her of what her position would soon be! "You will marry and then your husband will provide for you."

"What if I don't want that?" She protested.

"Then you will never find a husband!" Violet told her making Sybil bite her lip to not reply.

"I think we've had quite enough of this discussion." Cora cut in before starting up a conversation with Edith about an upcoming tea party.

Sybil spent the rest of the conversation not saying much. It wasn't that she didn't care for the poor men having to adjust from life in the trenches, of course she did, but she also felt for all the women now out of work. Hadn't they played a part in the war effort too? And now they were expected to adjust to the life they'd had before the war as second class citizens after getting a taste of freedom. She reflected too on her own marriage- one she had always seen as between two working people. Their whole relationship had first started with Tom giving her those pamphlets on women's' rights and it had been agreed that their marriage would be between equals. Yet she struggled to see how this could be when he would have to provide for her whilst she stayed at home. Perhaps she was worrying about her job too much when she should be thinking about her future with the man she loves, but it had been such a shock to her and she desperately wanted to discuss it with Tom. He understood her like nobody else at Downton.


Tom had been planning to work more on his article in the evening, but his thoughts kept drifting to Sybil and the hopeless look he had seen in her eyes. He so wanted to comfort her, but knew he would have to be patient. After glancing at the clock for the third time in five minutes he put on his jacket and decided to go to the Servants' Hall while he waited, as though his presence in the same house could be of some support to her.

"I hope you're not looking for free food." Miss O'Brien told him as soon as he walked in.

Unable to hold back a smile he assured her he was not and found the newspaper that Mr Carson usually saved for him.

Coming down the stairs Thomas proclaimed, "Lady Sybil's been a naughty girl again."

"What's she done?" Daisy asked.

"That's none of our business." Mrs Hughes announced sternly, so Thomas collected his next tray and left the room.

Tom's first thought was that their relationship had been discovered but he instantly dismissed that idea- he would have been called for by now. Instead she must be in trouble for wanting to continue working and he hoped she was coping with the argument that was surely taking place. Whilst he did not doubt her debating skills he knew she was embarrassed when told off in public. Hoping the subject would be forgotten he returned to his paper.

Unfortunately when Thomas returned Mrs Hughes had gone so Daisy took the opportunity to question him. "Why's Lady Sybil in trouble?"

"She wants to carry on with her nursing." Thomas replied in a stage whisper.

"Why would she want that?" Daisy asked confused, "I'd rather go to parties wearing beautiful dresses than work long hours in a hospital."

"She's always been a strange one." Miss O'Brien added. Anna glanced at Tom to make sure he was alright, but he was managing to appear disinterested in the conversation.

"And that's not the worst of it…" Thomas paused for dramatic effect making Daisy move closer. "She wants to work after she's married!"

"She must be mad." Daisy decided.

"Has she no decency?" Miss O'Brien asked shocked, "it's shameful to work when you are married."

"Wouldn't you like to be able to do both?" Anna challenged her.

"When I do something I do it well." She responded. "How can a woman be a good wife if she's spending all her time working? No man would want that!"

"That's not true." Tom spoke up, unable to stay quiet for any longer. "Some men would be happy to have a wife who worked."

"I know you go to all those political rallies, but surely that's going too far!" Thomas said surprised.

"Not at all." Tom replied. "I think it shows determination and drive in a woman to want both."

"Anyway what he thinks doesn't matter." Miss O'Brien reminded them making Tom want to reply that it did matter, that someone like Sybil could love someone like him but he kept quiet as she continued. "Will any of those peers want to marry a working lady?"

"Doubtful" Thomas agreed. "Lady Sybil…"

"Are you still discussing that?" Mrs Hughes interrupted entering the room. "Daisy go and help Mrs Patmore and I do not wish to hear any more on this subject from any of you."


It was a while after Violet had left when Mary noticed Sybil looking very on edge. Her eyes kept glancing at the clock until she finally excused herself and Mary decided to follow. Trailing her sister she was annoyed but not surprised to see her going to the garage and she hurried to catch up with her.

"How are you my love?" Tom asked as soon as Sybil walked in the door.

"I've felt better." She admitted. "It all seems so unfair. Why must I give up my job to get married?"

"You might not have to." He hurriedly assured her. "This may be happening in England, but it will be different in Ireland. There's a war going to happen and when it does they'll be plenty of work. And times are changing, maybe not as quickly as we'd like but it won't be like this forever."

"Tom I know I don't express my feelings very often."

"You're very new to it." Tom interrupted with a smile.

"But I want to say how lucky I am to have you." She continued earnestly. "How many men would truly support their wives in something like this? You always care so much about me and I don't always express how much I love you back."

"I'd say leaving your whole life for me is a pretty good sign." He reminded her as he drew her into a hug. Sybil had been longing for the contact all evening and couldn't resist leaning in to brush her lips across his. He quickly responded by deepening the kiss and tightening his arms around her waist.

"Sybil." Mary's voice cut across the room making the pair jump apart. "Can I speak to you… alone?"

Sybil looked between the two making Tom give her a quick nod to reassure her he was alright with it, then catching Mary's look he realised he was the one who had to leave.

"I'll be outside." He announced with a smile to Sybil and a nod to Lady Mary.

"What is it?" Sybil asked unceremoniously.

"I'm only trying to help you." Mary replied offended by her sister's tone. "You're not letting yourself think this through."

"What do you think I've been doing for the last couple of years?" Sybil replied incredulously. She had been unable to stop examining her feelings since Tom's announcement in York.

"Clearly you've let him persuade you that you love him..."

"I know I do!" She interrupted passionately.

"So all I'm asking you to do is to have some space from Branson to think this over. Don't see him for a few weeks and properly consider your feelings." Then seeing her sister was about to protest she played her trump card. "If you can't do this for me, how can I keep your secret for you?"

Sybil gasped in shock. "Are you blackmailing me?"

"Yes I believe I am." Mary was unashamed. "Either stop seeing Branson for a few weeks or I will tell Papa about your plans before you are ready to leave." After giving her threat she turned and left before Sybil could respond.

Once Mary had gone Branson returned to the garage to find Sybil looking thoughtful.

"What was that about?" he asked.

"I've just been blackmailed. " She replied still slightly shocked at what Mary had done. "Apparently we're forbidden to see each other so that I can think clearly" Her tone showed quite obviously what she thought of this idea, "Or she'll give us away to papa." Then she pointed out, "there's too much to plan for us to allow my parents to know about us now."

"We will have to let Lady Mary keep us apart for a short time." Tom agreed reluctantly, angry that he could see no way out of it. "Though she can't stop us seeing each other at all." He pointed out. "I've still got to drive you to the hospital."

"She's always been good at scheming." Sybil sighed. "Who knows what she'll manage to do?"

A silence fell between the two and Tom stepped forward to wrap his arms around her. Sybil leant her head on his shoulder aware that they would not get a chance to be alone together for a while.

"I've been wanting to ask you about the wedding." Sybil finally said. "Where do we want to get married, here or Dublin?"

"I think it will have to be Dublin." Tom replied gently. Although he didn't elaborate she knew what he was thinking: it was unlikely her family would want to attend her wedding. She stepped back breaking the contact between them and looked down trying to get control of her feelings, but struggled. It was very different to choose not to invite her family by eloping and them actively choosing not to come. Noticing her upset Tom added "it will be harder for my family to travel to Downton as they don't have much time off from their jobs." Sybil nodded pleased he had given her another reason to wed in Dublin that wasn't so upsetting. She also realised his family would struggle to afford the trip to England, but did not voice it for his sake.

"Could you ask your family about ideas for a church?" She asked. "We can decide the other details later."

"I will." He promised. "It might be best to wait until we've heard back from them before we decide when to leave. We still have some things to plan."

Together they decided what they would both do until they could see each other again: Sybil would gain more experience as a nurse and start preparing to leave; Tom would get try to get some articles published and write to his mother about the new arrangements. He would also ask her to find out about nursing opportunities in Dublin.

Finally Sybil had to leave knowing that Mary would cause trouble if she was not back soon. They shared a lingering kiss each reluctant to part, but Sybil eventually drew back.

"I love you." She whispered.

"I love you too." He replied with a smile before she turned and went back to the house.


I'd be very grateful for any reviews as I don't know how interested people are in it. I can either concentrate on this story or write others at the same time which will make this one slower to upload.